Love is Deadly
by Jenn59
Summary: [Sequel to Love is Unhealthy] Is it possible to find love...even when death is on your doorstep?
1. Chapter 1

**Yes, I have finally begun writing the sequel, and this time I've already chosen the pairings—although they are still subject to change. But…it's an improvement, right? As usual, you guys are still welcome to share your opinions on the pairings and whatnot, because—as you should now know—my mind is **_**very**_ **impressionable.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, then Orochimaru would've given himself a paper cut (causing him to die of blood loss, of course) long before he gave Sasuke that curse mark. But Masashi just **_**has **_**to go and ruin my fun, doesn't he?**

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* * *

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"It's been an entire year since she came to Konoha, Shizune. Honestly, we're lucky she's even lasted that long. I know it's not possible, but sometimes I just want to believe that maybe it'll never happen."

Shizune sighed. Whenever anyone in the village was in horrific suffering, Tsunade would always feel the same pain, whether it was a frail old man or a newborn baby. _So many people simply assume that being a Hokage is a blessing. They don't realize how much of a curse it is as well_. "There is nothing we can do, Tsunade-sama."

"I know. It's just hard to accept that she may die any second. It's been a long time since I've ever felt so helpless."

"Tsunade-sama, I think we should—" Shizune stopped her sentence short as she heard the door creak open. Stepping inside was Katana, looking disheveled and weary.

"Katana, you're a bit late. I called for you nearly twenty minutes ago."

"Sorry, Tsunade-sama"

"Anyway," began Tsunade in a very professional voice, "I have decided that from now on, you will have a medic nin accompany you on all of your missions."

"But—"

"Furthermore, I think it would be wise to inform them of your current predicament so they have an idea of what to do, should the time come."

"That's absur—"

"To make things easier for you, it shall be the same medic nin accompanying you every time. This way, you only have to confide in one person."

"I absolutely refuse to—"

"You have no choice! I will allow you to choose whomever you want, as long as they are well-trained."

"You have to at least give me time to think this over!"

"Very well. You have two days."

"Tsunade-sama, that's completely unfair!" It was Shizune who spoke this time.

"Shizune," said Tsunade, turning her head towards her assistant, "Do you have something to say on this matter?"

"Y-yes," said Shizune in a small voice. It was rare that she ever disagreed with the Hokage. "At least give her more time. Let her relax a bit. She must already be tense…"

Tsunade drummed her fingers on her desk, considering the advice. "Okay then, I'll give you a month."

"A month!" exclaimed Shizune, "I never meant _that _long!"

"Goddamnit, Shizune! What do you want me to do?"

"Well…anything more than two weeks is a little—"

"Then two weeks! That should be more than enough time to confide in a medic nin. You are dismissed!"

Katana left the room in a hurry, not wanting to stay there any longer than necessary. She sprinted home and flopped upon her bed. Then she buried her head in a big, fluffy pillow and screamed. _How the hell could Tsunade do this? Doesn't she know I want this to be a secret!? I don't want people offering me their pity. And who am I going to choose? I don't want to tell someone I don't know, but the only one I do know is Sakura. I know I can trust her…but how will she react? Well, it looks like I have to tell her. Might as well get it over with…_

Katana reached towards her bedside table and grabbed the phone. She dialed Sakura's number and waited for her to pick up. "Hey Sakura, it's Katana…Are you busy today…Okay, then will you meet me at Ichiraku in a few minutes for lunch? Great! I'll see you then." She threw the phone back in the receiver and walked out the door. _What should I say? Should I beat around the bush, or get to the point? What will she say? Well, I can't just walk in and say 'I'm dying.'_

Katana continued contemplating what exactly she should say until finally, she turned around the corner and spotted Ichiraku. She was several feet away when she heard a familiar voice speak out…Sasuke's. Katana hastily masked her chakra and hid behind another building. She poked her head out and—as she expected—spotted the raven-haired Uchiha. And linked hand in hand with him was none other than Sakura.

"Katana asked me to meet her here," began Sakura, "I'm sure she won't mind if you came along."

"I dunno, Sakura," responded Sasuke doubtfully, "I think she's been avoiding me or something. I rarely see her anymore."

"Oh, come on, Sasuke. It's probably just bad timing. I mean, you never actually _plan_ to hang out together, so you can't expect to see her."

"Well, I would if she was around more. Ah, you're probably right. You always are."

Sakura flashed him a bright smile in response to his compliment. Sasuke moved his face closer to her with his lips slightly parted. Sakura slowly slid her hands around his neck and her eyes gently shut as Sasuke continued to close the space between them.

Katana looked away. She didn't want to see any more. Even after a year, she hadn't gotten over it. And Sasuke had been right, she _was _avoiding him. The truth was, she still had feelings for him. Katana was afraid that if she was around him, she would give in to her desire and hurt Sakura and Sasuke in the process. They were still her friends, and Katana just did what she thought was best for all of them.

A small sigh escaped her lips. She wanted to have love like theirs so badly. Especially since her time was running out. It just wasn't fair, but then again few things in life were. She truly _was _happy for them, though. _At least some people manage to be content in such a cruel world…Well, there's no way I'm going to meet her now that Sasuke is in there._ Katana felt bad for bailing on Sakura, but it was all for her own good…right?

Slowly getting up, she made her way to an outdoor café where she spotted Tenten.

"Hey, Katana! Come sit with me."

Katana smiled and sat down next to the brunette. Tenten was now Katana's closest friend, though even _she _wasn't aware of Katana's impending death. _If I'm going to tell Sakura soon, I might as well tell Tenten as well. I'm better friends with her, after all…what the heck! I'll tell her tomorrow…_

"So, you wanna train later?"

"Yes!!!" Sadly, it was Kiba who answered.

"I was talking to Tenten," said Katana slowly, "But you're welcome to come…if you want to. I doubt you'll enjoy it though…it's really boring. We just talk about…hair and…stuff. You wouldn't like it. I'd understand if you didn't want to come—"

"I'll come!!!"

"No really, Kiba," continued Katana, almost pleading now, "You'll be _totally _bored. You'll want to poke your eyes out by the end of it. In fact, I suggest that you _don't _com—"

"I'll come!!!"

"Katana's right," responded Tenten immediately, "You'll _die _of boredom…"

"I'll come!!! But…if you guys don't want me to come…"

"No! It's not that," began Katana.

"Of course we want you to come," Tenten said in unison.

"We just—"

"It's that—"

The girls both sighed, knowing defeat. "Sure you can come, Kiba…"

"You guys are going somewhere?!" exclaimed Naruto, who had just appeared beside them. "Can I come?!"

"No!!" Sakura and Katana cried.

"Okay, okay. No need to get out the claws, I was just asking…I'd rather hang with Hinata anyway…"

* * *

Katana and Tenten had spent the past hour trying to convince Kiba to leave, but he was persistent. The four of them now lay on the training grounds—that's right, four: Kiba had insisted on bringing Akamaru. Two were plotting ways to rid themselves of a certain dog-obsessed boy, one was wondering how on earth he got lucky enough to be in the company of two pretty girls, and the fourth was silently praising himself on the acidity of his pee. What a group.

Finally deciding she had enough, Katana got up, and Tenten and Kiba followed her lead.

"Well that's a pretty looking flower," said Tenten as she spotted an indigo flower rooted beside her.

"Yeah," agreed Kiba, "I guess that means it has something in common with you."

Katana tried to hide her snicker and Kiba and Tenten were both red with embarrassment.

Kiba then muttered something about having to go under his breath and hurried away. Katana finally let out her chuckle. "To think, we were coming up with all these elaborate schemes to make him leave, and all you had to do was say 'what a pretty flower'." Tenten smiled back, still flustered from the unexpected compliment.

"Well, at least we'll know what to do next time…" said Tenten.

"Good thing, too. I don't think he can stay away from you for long."

Tenten grinned, "After several more years of rejection, maybe he'll finally be able to take a hint."

Katana abruptly stopped laughing. _Several more years…_She knew it was an exaggeration, but now it seemed as though Tenten was certain they'd still be friends then. Of course, if it wasn't for the whole 'I'm dying' thing, Katana would think that too. She sighed. Katana would have to tell Tenten. If anyone deserved to know, it was her.

Tenten seemed to sense Katana's sudden change of emotion, because she then asked, "Are you alright?"

"Tenten, I have to tell you something, but you can't tell anyone."

Tenten smiled. "Are you telling me the name of your crush or something?"

Katana snorted. "I wish. Promise me, though."

"Of course I won't tell."

"Okay then…how should I put it? I'm well…"

"Yes?"

Katana exhaled the breath she was holding in. "I'm dying, Tenten."

* * *

"I can't believe you never told me this." Tenten sounded neither angry nor upset. Just shocked.

"I just wanted to spend the last days of my life having fun with my friends rather than constantly having to accept their pity."

"I guess I can understand that. How long do you have?"

"Well, I'm actually alive longer than expected so—"

"You mean you're going to die any day now??"

Katana remained silent, but the solemn expression on her face was enough to confirm Tenten's fears.

* * *

**Okay, I know that nothing really happened in this chapter. Sorry. This was just a sort of prologue. Besides, I always wanted Katana and Tenten to be best friends, I just never got around to it in ****Love is Unhealthy****. And I wanted to throw Kiba into this story so I thought this was a good opportunity. As usual, suggestions for pairings are welcome and very much wanted. Although, I would suggest giving me your input soon, because chapter two is where the pairing gets really obvious.**

**Oh, and the only reason the this story says the two main characters are Sasuke and Sakura is because I didn't want to give away who Katana would end up with. Besides, it _is _kind of a SasuSaku.**


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all, I have to warn you guys that I'm going to be changing my penname soon. Just letting you know. Don't lose track of me, kay?**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, then Ino would've had pupils. Sadly, she does not. Any questions?**

* * *

If you have ever woken to the sound of a telephone, you would know that it is not at all pleasant. Unfortunately, Katana had to do just that, which officially began what she would soon find to be a very agonizing day. Forcing herself to get up, Katana drowsily made her way to the phone. Stifling an oncoming yawn, she picked up the phone and mumbled a nearly indecipherable, "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Sakura."

"Oh, hey Sakura…" said Katana, knowing where this conversation was headed.

"Why'd you bail yesterday?" asked Sakura.

"Right, sorry about that. I uhh…" _Damn it! I should've thought of an excuse, _"I…had to…go eat my waffles," she blurted out.

"Your…waffles? But we were going to lunch…"

"Um, well you see, Tenten, she uh, made waffles for me…and so…I thought it would be rude to not eat them…"

"But it wasn't rude to bail on _me_?" laughed Sakura, "Well, I'm not mad or anything. But, just out of curiosity, _why_ did Tenten make waffles for you…at lunch time?"

"Well, um, she knows I love waffles, and uh, she likes cooking…so she made waffles for me…"

"Tenten likes cooking??"

"Um, yeah. But don't tell her I told you. She, uh…wanted it to be a secret."

"My lips are sealed…" said Sakura uncertainly, wondering if this was all some big joke. "Well, bye."

"Bye," replied Katana quickly. She harshly slammed the phone back into the receiver and began berating herself for coming up with such a pathetic excuse.

* * *

"Alright, you can go without a medic nin _this_ time, but only because this mission requires you to be within close range of a hospital."

Katana breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade waved her hand as to dismiss the subject. "But no more missions after this without a medic nin, got it?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

"The rest of the group for this mission should be arriving shortly."

As if on cue, the door opened and Neji came walking in.

Ten minutes later, Kiba strode in. Katana resisted the urge to scream and Tsunade bared her teeth. "Kiba, you're late!"

It seemed to just have registered to Kiba where he was, because he automatically stiffened and mumbled, "Uhh, I was…delayed."

"Excuses, excuses," said Naruto, who just strutted in as if he owned the place.

"You're one to talk!" exclaimed Kiba, "At least I was earlier than _you_."

Naruto yawned and then said in a groggy voice, "Hey, I was still asleep. But if I wasn't, I bet I would've been here first. So there."

"You were sleeping at three in the afternoon?" said Kiba incredulously.

"Hey, a guy needs his beauty sleep…especially someone as fine as me."

The two continued their bickering, failing to notice the vein in Tsunade's temple that was threatening to explode. Neji and Katana began slowly backing away as Tsunade's face turned a dangerous shade of purple. "SHUT UP!!! YOU TWO ARE THE LOUDEST, MOST STUPID NINJAS THAT EVER DWELLED IN KONOHA!! I'D RATHER SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH GAI THAN LISTEN TO YOU TWO SQUABBLE!"

Naruto gasped at Tsunade's comment about Gai. "That hurt," he said in an offended voice.

"WELL I'M GONNA MAKE SOMETHING ELSE OF YOURS HURT IN A SECOND!"

Naruto gulped and proceeded to retreat into the corner of the room. Perhaps the only smart thing he's done during the course of his oh-so pitiful life.

Tsunade inhaled deeply and then said in a controlled voice, "Now that we're all here, I can explain the details of the mission. You are going to be observing a man named Watanabe Hitoshi—"

"You mean like spying?" interrupted Kiba, but he was quickly silenced by a single death glare sent his way from Tsunade.

"No, I mean _observing._ Anyway, he is suspected of being the leader of a murderous gang. He is a doctor, and the patients he treats are usually the ones that are found dead. He is still unaware that he is a suspect, so revealing yourself is not a wise move. I speak mainly to you, Kiba, and you, Naruto. If either of you do anything stupid, I will kill you both myself…that is if the gang hasn't finished you off first. Remember, they are suspected murderers, so don't expect any mercy. They're all probably jounin level too, considering the previous murders. They've been spotted before, but all our witness could say was that one had a giant blond mustache, one had a skull and crossbones tattoo on his right arm, and all of them were Caucasian, except for one who looked Spanish. All of these characteristics could easily be masked, as you know, so don't rely on those facts. Leave as soon as possible. You are dismissed."

Naruto was the first to go. He crept slowly out of his corner and then ran full speed out the door, Kiba right on his heels. Once Katana got out, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. _Leave it to Tsunade to assign me a mission that involves spying on a goddamn doctor. No wonder she said it was okay to not have a medic nin come with me._

Katana wasn't sure she liked the idea of going on a mission with Naruto _and _Kiba, either. She wasn't that well acquainted with Neji, but at least he didn't talk much…unlike a certain blonde ramen-obsessed boy. Sure Kiba and Naruto were her friends, but she wasn't sure how long this mission was going to last, and she highly doubted she'd be able to deal with them for long. She had gone on missions with Kiba and Naruto before, (which both turned out disastrous) but both of them together? Unimaginable. One of her first missions in Konoha was with Naruto. They were supposed to escort some spoiled, rich lady who was being tracked by people who intended to kill her. Katana had half a mind to just hand her over to them right away. Of course, Naruto nearly ruined the mission by accepting one of the killer's explanations that he was simply a close friend of hers. And the mission with Kiba? Katana stills shudders just remembering it. While they were being attacked by a group of missing-nin that they were supposed to execute, Kiba had come up with the brilliant idea of letting Akamaru mark them with his acidic pee. This way they could find them again if they got away. The plan was successful, but unfortunately Akamaru marked everyone within the vicinity, rather than just the missing-nin. Katana had to take eight showers before the stench completely washed away.

Lost in her thoughts about how Naruto and Kiba spelled disaster, Katana stumbled over a rock that was in her path and landed herself in the pavement. Luckily her hands shot out at the last minute, preventing her face from being squashed.

"I thought you were supposed to be a _good _ninja," said an entertained voice from behind her.

Katana shot up immediately and turned to face her mocker. Brown eyes clashed with white ones as she found herself staring at the Hyuuga prodigy.

"Very funny," she said curtly, feigning a look of amusement, "I'll remember that the next time I need to find a location for something long and pointy."

Neji grimaced before responding, "If you're going to be on that mission with Naruto and Kiba, there will much better places to put something long and pointy, I assure you."

"Can't argue with you there," said Katana in a defeated voice.

* * *

Katana made her way to the gates of Konoha, reluctant to go on her assigned mission. She wasn't surprised when she saw Neji standing there by himself. Despite Tsunade's orders to 'leave as soon as possible', she would bet her last dollar that it would be another half hour before Kiba and Naruto were here. Naruto would probably decide to take a "quick" nap before they left and Kiba would try fitting in a quick game of Mark Your Target with Akamaru.

"Why'd you get here so early? Wasn't it obvious that Naruto and Kiba would take forever to come, anyway?" said Katana as she approached Neji.

Neji shrugged. "Just hoping for a miracle, I guess."

"If Naruto and Kiba got here on time, it wouldn't be a miracle. It'd be an apocalypse."

"I probably could've come to the same conclusion," agreed Neji, "I suppose it was simply because I had nothing better to do."

"No surprises there."

Neji glared at Katana. "At least _I _don't go tripping over little pebbles that are lying around in the street. I actually try _avoiding _them. It's one of my fortes, you know."

"For your information, it wasn't a '_little pebble'_. It was a full-grown rock."

"I know this fact might astound you," said Neji, "but rocks do not _grow._"

Katana's face turned a radiant shade of pink. "Well, gee, thanks for enlightening me," she retorted, her voice overflowing with sarcasm, "I just _love_ when people who are too lazy too cut their hair preach to me about how rocks don't grow."

Neji sent her a resentful look, which Katana was more than willing to return. She had a feeling this guy might actually end up ticking her off more than Naruto _or _Kiba.

"I already have to deal with Naruto and Kiba," growled Neji, reflecting Katana's thoughts, "I don't want to have to put up with you too."

"Yeah, because you're the _only _one who has to deal with Naruto and Kiba," replied Katana, making more use of sarcasm, "I'll just be off in la-la-land while you have to put up with them, won't I?"

"I'll be amazed if I make it through this mission without committing suicide," snarled Neji.

"You won't have to worry about suicide, because I'll have strangled you long before you can even _consider _killing yourself."

"Well I'm already considering it, so pray tell me why I've not been strangled yet?"

"If you want it so badly, I'd be more than happy to oblige," snapped Katana.

Neji stared at Katana with daggers in his eyes and Katana resumed her glaring of him as well. They only dropped their gazes when they saw a figure clothed in an orange jumpsuit approach them.

"That's right," said Naruto, an idiotic grin plastered to his face, "I, Uzumaki Naruto, have finally arrived."

"Took long enough," said a still fuming Katana.

"No one cares whether you're here or not foxboy," said Kiba, who had just appeared behind Naruto, Akamaru on his heels.

"I can't believe you called me foxboy, considering how obsessed you are with dogs!"

"Would both of you just shut up?"

"Yeah, that makes a lot of sense coming from someone as annoying as you."

"At least I go to the barbershop regularly!"

"At least I don't trip over pebbles"

"I AM _NOT_ OBSESSED WITH DOGS!"

"HA! THAT'S REAL RICH! _NOT OBSESSED WITH DOGS!_ TRY FINDING THREE PEOPLE WHO'D BELIEVE THAT!"

"SHUT UP NARUTO!"

"KATANA, THERE ARE TWO OTHER PEOPLE YELLING, INCLUDING YOU, AND YOU GO OFF AND PINPOINT ME!"

"YOU'RE THE LOUDEST!"

"WELL AT LEAST NARUTO ISN'T AS CLUMSY AS YOU!"

"I TRIP OVER _ONE _GODDAMN ROCK AND SUDDENLY MY IQ IS TEN AND MY BALANCE IS ZERO?!"

"NO, YOUR IQ IS NOT NEARLY THAT HIGH!"

"WHY DO YOU SAY THAT? IS TEN TOO HIGH FOR YOU TO COUNT TO?"

"YOUR STUPID DOG BIT ME!"

"Good boy Akamaru, you get an extra serving of dessert tonight!"

"And you say you're not dog obsessed!"

"I'M NOT!"

"YOU FREAKING GIVE YOUR DOG DESSERT _EVERY_ NIGHT! THAT'S NOT NORMAL!"

"AKAMARU NEEDS TO BE FED WELL IF HE'S GOING TO BE USEFUL DURING MISSIONS!"

"THAT STUPID DOG OF YOURS ISN'T CAPABLE OF DOING _ANYTHING_ USEFUL!"

"OH YEAH, WATCH THIS! AKAMARU, MARK YOUR TARGETS!"

* * *

_Well, Kiba has done it again,_ thought Katana as she made her way to the gates of Konoha for the second time that day. The whole group had decided that it would probably be best if they took a quick shower before leaving. Of course, they all knew it would take at least an hour before the smell was gone, but it was better than having to deal with the stench for the rest of the day. As she made her way to the gates of Konoha, she found Neji standing there by himself and was not at all surprised. Naruto and Kiba were late the first time, so why wouldn't they be the second time? Making her way towards Neji, she felt an undesirable sense of déjà vu wash over her.

* * *

**Okay, I'll give you three guesses who Katana's going to be paired up with. lol. **

**Well, suggestions are still welcome, because as you know I tend to make many last minute changes. I know I'm getting a little obsessed with Akamaru's pee, but you can't blame me for having some fun with the story, right?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry times infinity for updating so goddamn late. I just have so much to do in school now that I can't find any extra time. In fact, the only reason I have time to type this chapter at all is because I'm sick today. I'll try updating a lot more on weekends but I can't make any promises. Sorry guys…I feel really bad for making you wait for so long.**

**And just a warning: I change POVs a lot in this chapter. Well a lot more than I normally do anyway.**

**Also, I would suggest rereading (or at least looking over) the previous chapter so this one makes at least minimal sense.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, someone would clarify whether the things on Naruto's face were **_**actual **_**whiskers or not.**

* * *

"Shut up, Naruto, he's coming out!"

"So what? Geez, Katana, I'm not gonna do something stupid and give away where we're hiding."

"Then why don't you be quiet? It's annoying enough to spend half the day in a tree spying on some old man. I don't need you going and adding to my misery."

"Well if you thought I was so annoying, why didn't you just partner up with Kiba or Neji instead of spying along with me??"

"_Because, _Naruto, you and Kiba are equally aggravating and if you two are together by yourselves, you'll give us away. Despite how freakishly infuriating Neji is, at least he is not as stupid as you two. Now shut up, okay? He's headed this way."

Sure enough, Watanabe Hitoshi was soon walking directly towards the tree in which they were hiding. He was a slightly overweight thirty-year-old man covered in a mop of dark green hair. Whether it was dyed or not, Katana didn't know.

Seating himself on a bench that resided in the shade of their tree, he opened up a copy of some bright, red book named _The Fuzzy Bunny and the Big Orange Thing _and began to read. Katana raised an eyebrow at the man's interesting choice of literature. _Isn't he supposed to be a well-educated doctor? A seven year old wouldn't be caught reading that…_

"Hey," said Naruto, "I love that book!"

Katana resisted the strong urge to strangle him. What did that idiot not understand about the phrase 'shut up'?

Luckily, Watanabe Hitoshi seemed to have very poor hearing. Either that or he chose to ignore it.

"Shut it!" whispered Katana through clenched teeth.

"Lighten up, Kat. It's not like he noticed."

"Don't call me Kat! And you're lucky he didn't notice. Now be quiet!"

"All right, all right. You don't have to always make such a big deal of things, Kat."

"Don't…call…me…Kat!" Katana whispered fiercely.

"I'll call you Kat all I want. Kat! Kat! Kat! Kat! Kat!" said Naruto defiantly.

"Call me Kat again and see what happens!" hissed Katana.

"Kat! What're you gonna do now, huh? Kat! Kat! Kat!"

Katana turned a fiery shade of red and elbowed Naruto hard in the ribs.

"Ow!" screeched Naruto. And sadly, Watanabe Hitoshi's hearing was not _that _bad. Looking up, he said cautiously, "Who's there?"

"Now you've done it!" whispered Katana.

Fortunately, Hitoshi seemed to shrug it off as a very loud bird and went back to his reading.

* * *

Naruto, Neji, Katana, and Kiba met at the bird bath by Watanabe Hitoshi's house once they confirmed that he was asleep.

"Neji, I'm partnering with you tomorrow," said Katana firmly.

"Didn't you say our mission would be a sure failure if Kiba and I were together?" Naruto questioned.

"Don't care. By the time you fell out of the tree, I decided it wasn't worth the trouble," snapped Katana.

Naruto smiled sheepishly, "Hehe…"

"And who says _I _want to partner up with _you_?" asked Neji.

Katana arched an eyebrow. "Do you?"

Neji looked from Kiba to Katana and then said in a defeated voice, "…Yes"

"Then it's settled."

* * *

"Why on earth do we have to keep hiding in trees??" groaned Katana.

"_Because, _the trees here are unusually thick and provide good cover."

"I know_ that_!"

Neji rolled his eyes, "Then why did you ask?"

"Damn Hyuuga," muttered Katana. "Couldn't we have at least hidden in a bigger tree??"

"_No, _this one is closest to his bedroom window."

"I know _that! _For god's sake, Hyuuga, you don't have to act like such a know-it-all."

"If you know so much," said Neji through gritted teeth, "then stop asking these pointless questions!"

"Oh shut up already!"

"You're the one who needs to shut up!"

Katana sent a glare his direction, but quickly looked away. She recently found that it was hard to meet Neji's eyes for long. Perhaps it was just the unusual color. No, it couldn't be that. She had never had that problem with Hinata, and only recently, she'd be able to look hard into Neji's eyes unaffected, as well. Every time her brown eyes looked into his pearl ones, she felt like she was looking into a deep abyss of secrets. Now—whenever she looked into his eyes—not only would she feel that mysteriousness, but she would also get a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. The kind you get when you reach the top of a really big roller coaster. The only problem was, she was too scared to go for the rest of the ride. Katana hastily began to stare at her feet. She had a hunch about this strange feeling, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to be right…

_I don't know if I could stand being hurt again_, she thought. An image of Sasuke filled her head for a brief moment before she banished him from her thoughts.

* * *

**Neji's POV**

"Oh shut up already!" exclaimed Katana.

"You're the one who needs to shut up!"

Katana's brown eyes glared at him for a fraction of a second, but then quickly averted themselves.

Neji frowned. She had been doing that a lot lately. He knew that they might not get along that well, but he was certain he hadn't done anything bad enough for her to not even be able to endure looking at him. Neji wasn't sure why, but it hurt to think that she would think so low of him. For some reason, he seemed to highly value her opinion.

_Perhaps it's my hair…Nah…_

Refocusing his attention on Katana, he found her staring determinedly at her feet. Feeling a pang of hurt in his chest, he sighed and tried to think of something else.

I say 'tried' for a reason.

* * *

Neji and Katana walked towards the bird bath again at the end of the day. An awkward silence had settled between them some time ago, and it was still lingering. By the time they got there, they found the area empty. No surprises there. Kiba and Naruto had probably lost track of time bickering.

"You've got a load of twigs in your hair," commented Neji. Reaching over, he slowly began untangling them from Katana's wavy red locks. For a brief moment of bliss, her sparkling brown eyes met his. Blushing, she rapidly turned away, fixing her gaze onto a nearby bush instead.

_There was fear in her eyes, _thought Neji. He could practically feel his heart sink lower. Why would she be so scared of him? And what was it about this girl that made him so vulnerable?

Neji made sure to take a decent amount of time removing the last twig from her hair. He had just been given an excuse to rake his fingers through her hair, and he figured he might as well let it last.

* * *

**Katana's POV**

"You've got a load of twigs in your hair," commented Neji. He reached over and began pulling them out. Katana's gaze met his, but she instantly looked away. His eyes kept giving her that…_feeling_…the feeling that had already caused her enough pain for one lifetime. The feeling that was sometimes so overpowering that she had to give in to it. The feeling that she was so scared to say out loud…so scared to admit.

Goosebumps started to spread across her skin as Neji kept ruffling through her hair. She was startled at how gentle he was. Katana didn't want him to stop, but all things eventually come to an end.

* * *

"Thank you," said Katana softly. Neji noticed she still wasn't looking at him. He nodded in response, not trusting himself to speak. He watched her until he could take it no longer…he _had _to know what he had done to make her feel like this.

"Katana—" Neji started.

"Oh, like I care about your damn dog!" screamed Naruto, who had chosen the perfect moment to return.

"Don't make fun of Akamaru!" shouted Kiba, "_You're_ the one who dropped your kunai while we were searching the dude's house!"

"You did _what?!_" exclaimed Katana.

Naruto laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Don't worry, I went back for it after an hour. Besides, tomorrow he's going to be going at a bar after work by himself."

"So?"

"_So, _he'll probably end up getting drunk and we might actually get some information out of him."

"Let's hope I don't kill myself by then…" muttered Katana.

* * *

"There he is. Sitting at the counter," said Kiba, who had spotted Watanabe Hitoshi.

Katana followed his eyes and found herself staring at the drunken doctor who was hitting on practically every girl (and a decent amount of guys) that passed by him.

"Well," said Naruto, "There's only one thing to do…one of us has to play the slut."

Kiba and Neji immediately stared at Katana, who rolled her eyes. "Not a chance."

"I didn't mean you, Katana," replied Naruto, "You wouldn't be able to pull it off."

Katana clenched her teeth. "I'll have some mercy on your limbs and take that as a compliment."

"Wait…" said Kiba, "So who's going to do it then?"

An oddly mischievous grin spread across Naruto's face. "I think it's time for a little Sexy no Jutsu…"

"Ugh…" said Katana, suppressing her gag reflex. Somehow, the prospect of watching Naruto seduce a middle-aged man did not seem very thrilling. _Poor Hinata…_

* * *

**Once again, sorry for the super late update, and for the really short chapter. I've got an idea! Why don't you all review a lot to make up for lost time! Lol, jk.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hang me, I know I deserve it. Super frickin late update, but updated nonetheless. Well, it's a bit of a challenge keeping a straight A average in honors and playing four sports XX. Scratch that, it's a **_**hell **_**of a challenge. But excuses won't make up for the distance, and I know it. I actually had to **_**reread **_**my story to figure out what was going on (and anyone who's still reading my story will probably need to, too.) Sorry, sorry, sorry!!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, then why the hell would I need a straight A average??**

* * *

Katana tapped her foot impatiently outside the dressing room. Naruto was trying on an outfit for his little flirting mission at the bar, and Katana was the unlucky one who had to supervise him, since he was clearly not capable of doing anything right on his own.

"Hurry up, Naruto, it's already eleven!"

"Sorry, but this dress is a little tight around the hips. I think I need some guidance. How do you girls normally put a tight dress on?"

Katana rolled her eyes. "I cannot believe I'm having this conversation with you."

"Well believe it," responded Naruto, "Because this dress just refuses to move any further."

"Then get a bigger size! Or make your hips smaller!"

"And ruin my slut look? You're crazy!"

"Just shut up and put the damn thing on!"

"Fine…Hey! It's moving! All I have to do is shimmy my hips a little and it slides right—"

"I don't want to hear it, Naruto! Just hurry up!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

And sure enough, Naruto strolled out, sporting a tight black leather dress that covered about an inch of his legs and revealed about thirteen inches of his chest (which he had seen fit to significantly enlarge.)

"Naruto, don't you think that's a little over the top?"

Naruto flipped his waist-length blond head over his shoulder and said in a high-pitched voice, "Of course not! I'm gonna need to show a little skin if I want to get any information out of this guy."

Katana decided it was better to just give in, considering that his current attire was probably a great deal easier to endure than the birthday suit outfit he'd suggested donning.

"Alright, whatever," said Katana, "Let's just go before he's too boozed to tell us anything."

* * *

"For the last time, Naruto, he's the one with the dark green hair. And make sure you don't hit on the wrong guy!" stressed Katana for the billionth time.

"Considering that we were _supposed_ to be spying on him for the past two days, I would think that you would be able to, at the very least, _identify _the guy!" fumed Neji.

Naruto smiled sheepishly and chose wisely to make no response. Instead he strutted over towards where Watanabe Hitoshi was sitting, swinging his hips a little _too _much.

Katana rolled her eyes. "He sure knows how to overdo things."

"Hell, if it works, I'm not complaining," said Kiba.

"Agreed. The sooner this mission is over, the better," Neji replied.

The three of them were seated in a small booth in a dark corner of the bar. They watched in unison as Naruto began to speak in an extremely girly voice to Watanabe Hitoshi, occasionally rubbing his arm affectionately. It was enough to make anyone with decent vision sick.

"Either Naruto is a very good actor, or Hinata needs to have a little talk with her so-called 'man,'" said Neji.

Kiba snickered. "That Naruto's a freak," laughed Kiba, who then proceeded to converse with Akamaru, which apparently was not at all considered freakish.

Katana and Neji watched with arched eyebrows as Kiba muttered low phrases such as 'foul eggs,' 'yummy cake,' and 'yellow pudding' to his beloved pet. I really cannot imagine this scene being any odder than it is now.

"I need to use the bathroom," blurted Kiba, cutting his conversation with Akamaru short.

"Well I wouldn't suggest using the one here," advised Neji, "Not exactly the cleanest place on Earth…"

"Ugh, I'm gonna go and find some place that is somewhat clean. Or at least a decent sized bush," said Kiba, striding out the door in search of a sanitary restroom (or bush), Akamaru on his heels.

Katana and Neji then turned their attention back to Naruto, who had just playfully swatted Watanabe Hitoshi and said something that sounded oddly like 'you dirty dog.'

"Naruto seems to have the situation under control."

"Well, this isn't exactly a very impressive situation," replied Katana.

Neji smiled in agreement, and then turned to face Katana. _God, she's beautiful…_

Katana, sensing him looking at her, met his eyes, but they quickly retreated.

Neji frowned and put his hand on her chin, gently turning it so she faced him.

"Why won't you look at me?" There was obvious pain in his voice, and Katana wasn't stupid enough to miss it. She could feel tears building up in her eyes and silently cursed herself for breaking so easily.

This didn't go unnoticed by Neji. He hated to see her so distressed. He shut his eyes in distress, and then wrapped his arms around her. Neji pulled her close, suddenly feeling protective.

"What did I do to hurt you?" he asked softly.

He could feel her shivering against him, despite the heat of the bar. She drew in a long breath to calm herself, and then responded in a steady voice.

"Please don't blame yourself. It has nothing to do with you, I promise."

"Clearly, it does."

Katana sighed. "I know, but it's not your fault. It's more my fault than anyone else's."

"Please," begged Neji, "Tell me what's wrong. I don't understand." She had never heard him sound so scared and vulnerable. She was so accustomed to him carrying himself with his Hyuuga pride, that this change in attitude was shocking.

"It's better that you don't," responded Katana sadly. She wanted to just open up and tell him everything, but that last time she did that her heart could barely take the pain.

Neji, knowing Katana would not be wavered, just held her closer. He felt as though she was going to slip from his grasp at any moment. If you asked him to explain the feeling, he would be unable to, but it was still so overpowering that he could not let her go. Only when Naruto finally started heading back towards them, leaving an unconscious Watanabe Hitoshi behind, did Neji release her from his grasp. And even then, it was with great difficulty.

"Guess what guys? We can start heading back! He spilled everything! It turns out that he used a bunch of his own transformed bunshins to kill his patients, no gang members whatsoever. Just a bunch of his duplicates. Apparently he had some sick theory that saving patients who's 'time it was to die' was a crime against nature. So whenever he saved someone, he'd kill them. _Talk about serious issues. _What's more, he gave me details only the murderer could now, so I think it's safe to say he did it. And even more conveniently, he passed out. Now we just have to drag him back to Konoha. My sexy no jutsu sure is effective, eh?"

Normally, Naruto would receive a glare, an insult, or some sort of physical attack whenever he opened his big mouth. However, Neji and Katana had yet to wipe there frowns from their faces. What's more, he'd just given them _good_ news. So why were they so upset? Naruto may be an idiot, but at least he's a sensitive idiot.

After rounding up the unconscious Watanabe Hitoshi and locating Kiba, they began to head back to Konoha. The whole way Naruto was desperately trying to get them to lighten up. Or to at least show _some _emotion other than distress. And when Naruto puts his mind to something, usually it works. But it didn't, because Neji and Katana weren't just upset, they were miserable.

* * *

"Let me get this straight, _Naruto _was the one who made the mission a success. _Naruto?_" questioned Tsunade for the billionth time.

"Yes," sighed Katana, "It was all him…"

"And…you're sure about this??" Tsunade asked.

"Kami, we're sure!" said Neji.

"Okay…you're dismissed…"

Katana was halfway to the door when—

"Wait! Katana, please stay for a second."

_Damn it._ "Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

"Have you chosen a medic-nin yet?"

"Well, yes"

"And have you told them of your situation?"

"Um, no…"

"Are you planning to?"

"Yes…"

"When?"

"Oh, I don't know!"

Tsunade rubbed her temples, "This is essential, Katana. You know my reasoning."

"I know," said Katana childishly, "I'll tell someone before my next mission."

"Damn right you will, because you're not getting another mission until you _do _confide in one of them."

Katana took a deep breath, "Okay, I get it."

"Good. You're dismissed."

* * *

**Short, I know, but this was all supposed to be in the last chapter, I just got impatient and decided to just post what I had and write the rest later. Of course, I did imagine that 'later' would be in November. **

**sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry**

**Normally, this is the part where I'd ask you guys to review, but I honestly won't be surprised if I don't get any reviews at all after how late I updated.**


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